Ultramobile PC claims 12-hour battery

Some of us at Crave have never been huge fans of the so-called ultramobile PC (UMPC), but maybe that's because we have an aversion to gadgets with acronyms that sound like universities. Plus, there just seem to be so many reasons not to want them. But a new offering from Korean computer maker Raon claims to have dispensed with one of those black marks: battery power.

Raon

It's been christened the "Everun" because its batteries can last from 7 to 12 hours, according to the company, depending on whether it's running a standard or enhanced pack. And no, it doesn't weigh 20 pounds either--in keeping within generally accepted UMPC heft and dimensions, it tips the scales at 1.01 to 1.10 pounds while measuring 6.7 by 3.3 inches and less than 1 inch thick. Other specs include a 4.8-inch widescreen, an AMD LX900 600MHz processor and a 60GB hard drive.

Battery claims are notorious for being hyped, of course, so Raon's marketing literature must be viewed with the requisite skepticism. But no matter what, the company promises to keep a lid on the Everun's prices, estimating that they'll fall "in the $600-$900 range." We still don't quite see where the UMPC fits in the evolutionary scale, but if prices keep coming down, it may be able to stave off extinction for a lot longer than we thought.